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Short Story Review: Departure by Alistair Morgan

December 4, 2009 by Surya

Today, I read Departure by Alistair Morgan, a poignant story that appeared in Paris Review last summer and surprise! is available to read online. The story, set in South Africa, is about a couple, Anna and Miles who are checking out the venue for their upcoming wedding. From the start, it is obvious that they …

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Short Story Review: Chechnya by Anthony Marra

December 2, 2009 by Surya

When I thought about short stories I loved, this is one of the first few that came to my mind. I must have read it, perhaps, a month or two ago, but it lingered in my mind. The hard part was finding it again. I remembered neither the title nor the author, but the story …

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Short Story Month

December 1, 2009 by Surya

I have a love-hate relationship with short stories. In fact, if you had asked me less than half a year ago, I would have probably told you that I don’t like them at all. But since then, I have read a few brilliant ones – the kind that makes you go ‘wow’ at the end. …

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Synopsis, root canals and child birth

November 20, 2009 by Surya

I have just written a synopsis I hate – of course, I am in love with my novel and no two pages is going to do justice to it (Did you say something about me being biased? I am ignoring it.) While trying to figure out what I should change, I hop over to Nathan …

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Friday Links 091016

October 19, 2009 by Surya

For a while now, I have been using twitter for my link dumps. But, searching for something in twitter isn’t exactly easy. So here is a summary of this week’s links – Junot Díaz at Oprah on trying, and failing, to write his novel every day for five years (via @allvishal): a writer is a …

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Nigeria – a photo essay

September 20, 2009 by Surya

A photo essay based on pics from my Nigeria stint below- You can see the whole set at [link]. Please upgrade your flash player!

The obsession

September 5, 2009 by Surya

The silverware glistened in the golden light from the elaborate chandelier that hung from the ceiling. She looked up to admire the sixteenth century painting that was beyond the light. A slow breeze from the sea side, and the waiter rushed to hand her a pashmina, which she really wouldn’t have needed if she hadn’t …

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Remembering a journey

September 4, 2009 by Surya

The thoughts of a person who is writing are restrained by the speed of his own writing. It does not gallop like unreined wind. Instead it flows smoothly like a river flowing down a mountainside. It twists, turns and it follows different paths..but it never loses track of where it has been.

Silent Eloquence was born, five years ago – on 26th August 2004, as “a blog that celebrates the beauty and power of words.”

Life is a journey. You can choose to stay close to home or wander off to unknown lands. I chose the latter. Silent Eloquence – as I toggled between Silence and Eloquence – has been with me for the recent part of it. This post celebrates that journey, as I look at the path this blog took, through the lands covered, and the meanderings en route – the beautiful beaches, dangerous deserts, forbidden forests, wonderful waterfalls, unexpected avalanches and the peaceful valleys.

Five years can be a long time or a short time, depending on how you look at it. For me, it is a time where a lot happened. A lot changed.

As I changed, as my environment changed, as my life changed, this blog changed too. The topics I cover, the frequency in which I write, my tone of writing, my political sympathies and even my readers, changed. But I also realized that beyond all the superficial changes, there is the me that doesn’t change. No matter what you do to it – put it in a blender and smash everything to pieces – and there is that bit that just doesn’t disintegrate. The real me.

There is a reason I know that, and this is in the only “advice” I want to share with anyone who cares – try, try out everything out there that interests you. Sure, I have paid my price for it – instability, career with weird trajectories, friends spread out all over the world, family far away – but I have gained so much, so much more. Sorry for the digression, but I feel so strongly about it, I just have to say it, and repeat it. Experiment – some fail, some work. Learn and move on, to another experiment. Silent Eloquence has been a constant companion through all those experiments – a fellow researcher, an enthusiastic cheerleader, a harsh critic and most of all, a diligent documenter.

Yes, now, let’s look at that journey.
(more…)

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Ignore everybody

August 6, 2009 by Surya

Here’s the new addition to my work wall (well, the wall behind my work chair) (image:gaping void) If I don’t reply to comments, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you..:)

Bourbon biscuit cake recipe

July 21, 2009 by Surya

I hardly ever post recipes, but I am so proud of this one I need to put it up. I had to clear the bourbon biscuits in my kitchen, because I needed to use the container for something else. I couldn’t find a good recipe anywhere on the wide world web, so I had to …

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